Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Crossing & finishing (u14's)

Warm up drill. (10 mins)

Adaptations (Progressions & Regressions):

Simple warm up drill for 10 mins involving 14 players (paired). 

Players perform a long lofted pass to their partner who receives and controls the ball.

One ball between each pair if the drill starts from the right of the goal and rotates anti-clockwise it would mean that each player has performed a long pass and controlled a long pass in one complete rotation. 

This drill is unopposed and encourages players to work on technique of accurate lofted passes and the control of a lofted pass. Additional balls are placed around parimeter to keep drill 'flowing' if balls are mispassed.

Challenges, Conditions or Targets:

Condition is that a passes shoud be attempted as a lofted pass.

Challenge could be reducing number of bounces before it reaches partner, setting an area that ball needs to be controlled in.

Target could be fewest bounces, fewest touches to control, points for an accurate pass and good control.

Mechanics:

Good approach to ball

Target area identified

Eyes on the ball

Open body stance to promote height

Facing direction you want to pass to

Part of foot that you perform lofted pass with, part of the ball the foot connects with

Leaning back to promote height

Quality of pass (weight, accuracy)

Following flight of incoming pass

Preparing body shape for receiving ball

Cushioned connection with the ball (chest, foot or thigh)

Trapping the ball with underside of boot to stop movement or redirecting momentum towards where you want to move

Skill into small sided game (width focus)

Adaptations (Progressions & Regressions):

7v7 on half pitch (x2 gks, x4 wingers, x4 defenders, x4 attackers. 

20 min game.

Small sided match with conditioned opposistion.

Wingers have a channel from halfway line to goal line in which only they can occupy.

Wingers can move the ball unopposed in their channel but have to remain in their channel and have to cross into the box. No other players can enter wingers channels.

Players with in middle of pitch can move freely (outside of channels) challenge each other and turn over possession, they are encouraged to move the ball out wide to the channel when they can.

x2 attackers attack the winger's cross but can be marked by defenders which encourages them to make runs and find space.

Attackers can only score within 3 touches of receiving a crossed ball.

Challenges, Conditions or Targets

Conditions are specified in the rules of the game but can be relaxed during match to progress/regress or make more realistic.

A challenge would be to score within a certain number of touches from cross, can be increased/decreased to progress/regress drill. An individual challenge could be how many crosses that are met by teammates.

A target could be how many shots on goal or goals scored with head/volley. 

Conditions can be relaxed for last 5 ins of drill to become more natural to the game and realistic